Electric shift and transfer case apparatus with control system therefore

Abstract

An electronic control system for a motor vehicle automatic transmission assembly of the type including an automatic transmission and a transfer case connected to the output of the automatic transmission. The automatic transmission has a mode select shaft to position the transmission in its various shift modes and includes a plurality of serially arranged planetary gear sets which are selectively engagable to provide the various shift modes of the transmission including the various forward speeds of the transmission. Solenoid valves are provided to control each planetary gear set so as to provide a direct drive or a speed reduction through that gear set. The invention control system includes a push-button module positioned in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle providing input signals to a microprocessor. The microprocessor generates a first set of command signals for shifting the transmission between its various shift modes in response to operator selection of a particular push-button, a further set of command signals to automatically shift the transmission between its various forward speeds with the transmission in a forward drive mode, and a further set of command signals to shift the transfer case between its various drive modes in response to operator selection of a push-button corresponding to a transfer case shift mode.

I claim: 
     
       1. A control system for a motor vehicle of the type including a passenger compartment and a transmission assembly including an automatic transmission having a mode select member having a plurality of discrete shift positions corresponding respectively to the shift modes of the transmission and operative in response to movement of the mode select member to its various shift positions to shift the transmission to the respective transmission shift modes, said control system comprising: A) a control module adapted to be mounted in the passenger compartment and including a plurality of shift select positions corresponding respectively to the shift modes of the automatic transmission and means operative in response to operator selection of each shift select position to generate a shift signal representative of the selected shift mode;   B) an electronic logic module receiving input signals comprising said shift signals, a vehicle speed signal, and a transmission present position signal and operative 1) in response to operator selection of said shift positions to process said input signals in a manner to generate a first set of command signals including a command signal corresponding to each automatic transmission shift mode, and   2) to process said input signals in a manner to generate a second set of command signals;     C) a power module, adapted to be drivingly connected to the mode select member, receiving said first set of command signals and operative in response to said first set of command signals to selectively move the mode select member between its various discrete shift positions to selectively shift the automatic transmission between its various shift modes; and   D) power means receiving said second set of command signals and operative to perform further shifting operations in the transmission assembly unrelated to the shifting movement of the mode select member by the power module.   
     
     
       2. A control system according to claim 1 wherein the automatic transmission shift modes include a plurality of forward drive modes, said logic module further receives an input signal corresponding to throttle position, said second set of command signals is generated in accordance with the vehicle speed and throttle position input signals, and said power means is operative to selectively shift the transmission between its forward drive modes in response to receipt of said second set of command signals. 
     
     
       3. A control system according to claim 1 wherein the transmission assembly further includes a transfer case drivingly connected to the automatic transmission output and having two and four wheel drive modes and wherein E) said control module includes further shift select positions corresponding to the two and four wheel drive modes of the transfer case and further means operative in response to operator selection of each transfer case position to generate a further shift signal representative of the selected transfer case positions;   F) said further shift signals are inputted to said logic module;   G) said second set of command signals is respectively generated in response to operator selection of said further shift members; and   H) said power means in operative to selectively shift the transfer case between said two and four wheel drive positions in response to receipt of said second set of command signals.   
     
     
       4. A transmission control system for a motor vehicle of the type including a passenger compartment and an automatic transmission having a plurality of shift positions including a plurality of forward drive positions and means for automatically shifting the automatic transmission between the forward drive positions in response to sensed vehicle speed and throttle position signals, said control system comprising: A) a control module adapted to be mounted in the passenger compartment and including a plurality of shift select positions corresponding respectively to the transmission shift positions and means operative in response to operator selection of each shift select position to generate a shift signal representative of the selected shift position; and   B) control means, including an electronic logic module receiving said shift signals and vehicle speed, throttle position, and present transmission shift position signals, 1) operative in response to operator selection of a particular shift select position to move the mode select member to shift the transmission to the selected shift position, and   2) operative with the transmission in a drive position to selectively shift the transmission between its forward drive positions in accordance with the received vehicle speed and throttle position signals.     
     
     
       5. A control system according to claim 4 wherein: C) said control means further includes a power module adapted to be positioned proximate the vehicle transmission adjacent the mode select member and including an electric motor, and encoder means operative to generate a transmission shift position signal indicative of the present shift position of the transmission;   D) said present shift position signal is inputted to said logic module; and   E) said logic module is operative to generate an appropriate electric motor drive signal in response to operator selection of a particular shift select position to energize said motor in a sense to move the mode select member to shift the tnarsmission to the selected shift position.   
     
     
       6. A control system according to claim 4 wherein the automatic transmission includes valving devices operative to control the shifting of the transmission between its forward drive positions; and wherein C) said control means further include electric power devices associated with said valving devices; and   D) said logic module is operative to generate power device command signals in accordance with the received vehicle speed and throttle position signals to energize said electric power devices and actuate said valving devices in a manner to shift the transmission between its forward drive positions.   
     
     
       7. A control system according to claim 6 wherein: E) said electric power devices comprise solenoids respectively drivingly connected to the transmission valving devices.   
     
     
       8. A control system according to claim 6 wherein: E) said control means further includes a power module adapted to be positioned proximate the vehicle transmission adjacent the mode select member and including an electric motor, and encoder means operative to generate a transmission shift position signal indicative to the present shift position of the transmission;   F) said present shift position signal is inputted to said logic module; and   G) said logic module is operative to generate an appropriate electric motor drive signal in response to operator selection of a particular shift select position to energize said motor in a sense to move the mode select member to shift the transmission to the selected shift position.   
     
     
       9. A control system according to claim 8 wherein: H) said electric power devices comprises solenoids respectively drivingly connected to the transmission valving devices.   
     
     
       10. A control system according to claim 4 wherein: C) said control module includes a housing defining a facia and said shift select positions are defined by a plurality of push-buttons positioned in said facia; and   E) said logic module includes a logic module housing physically secured to said control module housing to form a unitary assembly for positioning in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle.   
     
     
       11. A control system for a motor vehicle of the type including a passenger compartment and an automatic transmission having a plurality of shift positions and a transfer case drivingly connected to the transmission output and having two and four wheel shift positions, said control system comprising: A) a control module adapted to be mounted in the passenger compartment and including 1) a plurality of shift select positions corresponding respectively to the transmission shift positions and the transfer case shift positions, and   2) means operative in response to operator selection of each shift select position to generate a shift signal representative to the selected shift position; and     B) control means, including an electronic logic module receiving vehicle speed signals and said shift signals, operative in response to operator selection of a particular shift select position to shift the transmission or transfer case to the selected shift position.   
     
     
       12. The control system according to claim 11 wherein: C) said control means further includes a power module adapted to be positioned proximate the vehicle transmission and including an electric motor, and encoder means operative to generate a transmission shift position signal indicative of the present shift position of the transmission;   D) said present shift position signal is inputted to said logic module; and   E) said logic module is operative to generate an appropriate electric motor drive signal in response to operator selection of a particular transmission shift select position to energize said motor in a direction and to an extent to shift the transmission to the selected shift position.   
     
     
       13. A control system according to claim 11 wherein: C) said control module includes a housing defining a facia;   D) said shift select positions are defined by a plurality of push-buttons positioned in said facia; and   E) said logic module includes a logic module housing physically secured to said control module housing to form a unitary assembly for positioning in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle.   
     
     
       14. A control system according to claim 11 wherein: C) said control means further includes a power module adapted to be positioned proximate the vehicle transfer case and including an electric motor, and encoder means operative to generate a transfer case shift position signal indicative to the present shift position of the transfer case;   D) said present transfer case shift position signal is inputted to said logic module; and   E) said logic module is operative to generate an appropriate electric motor drive signal in response to operator selection of a particular transfer case shift select position to energize said motor in a sense to shift the transfer case to the selected transfer case shift position.   
     
     
       15. A control system according to claim 14 wherein: F) said control means further includes a second power module adapted to be positioned proximate the vehicle transmission and including a second electric motor, an encoder means operative to generate a transmission shift position signal indicative of the present shift position of the transmission;   G) said present transmission shift position signal is inputted to said logic module; and   H) said logic module is operative to generate an appropriate electric motor drive signal in response to operator selection of a particular transmission shift select position to energize said second motor in a sense to shift the transmission to the selected transmission shift position.